1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to remote testing for service provider networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Packet-based telecommunication service offerings have gained greater acceptance as telecommunication technologies have advanced. Some examples of service offerings include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling, data services, web browsing, and video services, as well as other services. Packet services are often times offered by access providers and provided by service providers. For example, an operator such as a cable company might offer VoIP calling services to its cable customers. However, the services are frequently provided by a service provider other than the cable company.
In such a situation, VoIP call traffic is transported over the cable network to the service provider's network. The traffic can then be transported over the Internet to a destination, or off loaded to another network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The traffic could also possibly remain on the service provider network depending upon its destination.
It is important that service providers have the ability to test the performance of the various service provided over their customer's access networks. Unfortunately, current service testing methodologies require on-site testing. However, on-site testing is problematic because it requires a technician from the service provider to physically investigate equipment in the customer's network, i.e. a cable network. Further problematically, current testing methodologies lack the ability to remotely test several access networks in a flexible and comprehensive manner. Remote testing capabilities are desired to eliminate the burdens of dispatching technicians and to improve the reliability of telecommunication services.